Kratos Claus
by AquaticWings
Summary: While Lloyd is waiting for Santa he finds out that Santa has gone missing. Rudolph tells Lloyd that someone must be pretend to be Santa and deliver presents to all the children. Who does Lloyd choose? Kratos of course!
1. Chapter 1

**Me: Hello!**

**Stella: Why am I your muse? I'm technically you in your other story.**

**Me: Thought it'd be interesting.**

**Stella: So anyways, the inspiration for this came from tiger002.**

**Me: You guys probably already know this but I'll go ahead and say it: I don't own Tales of Symphonia**

**Stella: Enjoy!!!**

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**Santa's gone missing!**

"Let's see… I've set up the milk and cookies, hanged up my stocking, and I'm ready for bed. I'm all set for Santa!" Lloyd smiled and plopped down on the couch, "Now I just have to wait…"

"Lloyd, Santa does not-" Kratos stopped speaking when Lloyd glared at him.

"Santa does not what?"

"Nothing…," Kratos sighed. He didn't understand why his son still believed in Santa. He didn't want to spoil Lloyd's mood though, so he let the teen believe that Santa actually existed.

"How come you're not jolly?" Lloyd looked up at his father with worry, "It is Christmas Eve."

"I not believe in Santa."

Lloyd gasped, "But if Santa does not exist than who delivers the presents?"

Kratos shrugged, "You can believe in Santa Lloyd, I won't stop you. But you do know that Santa will only come if you're asleep, correct?"

"I want to see Santa though…"

"Off to bed with you Lloyd."

"Aw…" Lloyd was about to go upstairs when something strange happened. Rudolph came flying in through the window

Kratos stared at the animal, "What in Origin's name…?"

Rudolph looked at Lloyd and Kratos, "You have to help me quickly!"

Lloyd gaped, "You can talk?!?"

"Yes, but I need your help!" Rudolph's nose blinked while he talked.

"What's wrong?" Lloyd asked.

"It's Santa!" Rudolph shouted.

Kratos almost fell over, "Santa exists?!"

"Of course he does! Who do you think gives all the children presents?" Rudolph looked at Kratos with a raised eyebrow.

"Their parents."

Rudolph sighed, "Of course you'd think like that, you are a parent."

"So," Lloyd began, "What's wrong with Santa?"

"Santa is missing!"

"Missing? If he's gone then the presents won't be delivered!" Lloyd panicked.

"I know! So I need to find a volunteer Santa."

"What exactly happened to Santa besides you finding out he was gone?" Kratos questioned.

"Well…," Began Rudolph, "Santa had been in his office, checking the list of all who's naughty or nice. I was outside his office door, just about to come in when I heard him shout, 'What do you want with me?' then I heard someone else say, 'To prove that you don't exist.' I ran into the room and saw someone flying out the window with Santa in a bag! The person had purple wings, a cape, and blue hair in a ponytail."

"Yuan…," grumbled Kratos, "I should have known. He's always been trying to prove that Santa didn't exist."

Lloyd looked at his dad, "What do we do?"

"We find Yuan."

"There's no time!" Rudolph shrieked, "Someone must have to pretend to be Santa! Please help me!"

"Of course we will help!" Lloyd exclaimed.

"Lloyd, you don't even look like Santa." Kratos told his son.

"I'm not going to be Santa," Lloyd smirked, "you're going to be Santa."

"You're not serious."

"C'mon dad! It'll be fun!"

"No."

Lloyd looked up with a begging expression, "Please dad? Do this for me, do this for your son." Kratos looked at Lloyd and felt hurt that earlier he had said no.

Kratos sighed, "Alright Lloyd, I'll do it for you."

Lloyd hugged Kratos, "Thanks dad!"

"Jump on my back and I'll take you two to the North Pole!" Rudolph told them.

As Kratos and Lloyd followed Rudolph's instrustion Kratos mumbled, "Curse you Yuan for making me have to pretend to be Santa…"

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**Me: Short yes, but this is going to be a very short story.**

**Stella: Why doesn't Yuan believe in Santa?**

**Me: Yuan's too philosophical to believe in Santa.**

**Stella: Aw… he's missing out on what he could be believing in!**

**Me: Review please!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Me: Thank you tiger002 and ShadowVDP for reviewing!!!**

**Stella: It's almost Christmas!**

**Me: Yep! Hopefully I get this done before Christmas day ends…**

**Stella: What's better? Christmas Eve or Christmas day?**

**Me: I prefer Christmas Eve. I like expecting presents rather than running out of presents. Now, do the disclaimer!**

**Stella: AquaticWings does not own Tales of Symphonia!**

**Me: Enjoy!**

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**The North Pole**

"The North Pole is near the temple of ice? How come I never saw it?" Beneath Lloyd was snow, a hill, and a tunnel.

Rudolph flew down into the tunnel, "The North Pole, or Santa's workshop, is located underground. Once I land I'll take you two to Santa's room and Kratos can prepare to pretend to be Santa." Kratos groaned. He did not want to wear Santa's clothes, lead a sleigh, and deliver presents. If only Yuan hadn't kidnapped the fat man… Rudolph landed on the ground, his nose still shining its bright red light. "We're here! Can you guys get off my back now? You're heavy…" Lloyd and Kratos slipped off Rudolph's back.

"So," Lloyd questioned, "Where's Santa's room?"

"This way," Rudolph walked down a hall of sorts. Everywhere there were the colors green, red, and white. The hallway was very elaborate and beautiful. It had pillars that resembled candy canes, each room was neatly labeled, and the doors resembled gingerbread men. Soon they came to a double door room.

"Is this Santa's room," Lloyd asked Rudolph.

Rudolph nodded, "Yep! Let's go inside." He pushed open the door with his head. Lloyd and Kratos walked in then Kratos noticed a little something on Santa's desk.

"Is that a… tomato?" Kratos glared death at the vegetable.

"Yea, Santa really likes tomatoes!" Rudolph chirped.

Lloyd hid behind Kratos, "Dad, are you going to kill it anytime soon?" Kratos nodded. He unsheathed his sword and killed the evil vegetable.

Rudolph blinked, "Why'd you do that? The tomato did nothing to you!"

Kratos glared at where the tomato was sat, "It did do something. Its presence was irritating."

"Well, if you don't like tomatoes than I don't know what you'll think about Santa's clothes."

"What do you mean…?" Lloyd stared at Rudolph.

"Santa likes tomatoes so much he makes his clothes smell like tomatoes."

"Can we wash the clothes?" Kratos asked.

"Yeah, but it'll take a while and we've already wasted time killing that poor tomato! Santa named that tomato Larry, Larry was Santa's pet! He'll be really sad that you killed it."

"You know," Lloyd whispered to his dad, "Santa is kind of scary."

"I concur."

"Anyways," Rudolph went over to Santa's closet, "Santa's suit is located in here. Since I don't have opposable thumbs one of you two come over here and get it." Kratos went over too the closet. After opening it he took out Santa's suit.

Lloyd looked at it, "I think dad's a bit too small to wear it…"

Kratos took a closer look at it, "It's made of cotton. If we wash it it should shrink."

"Alright, the washer is over here…," Rudolph walked over to the other end of the room. "Can you work it?"

"Of course." And Kratos proceeded to wash it.

Lloyd being Lloyd was amazed, "Whoa! That's so neat! How does it do that? And why are the clothes going round and round?" Lloyd followed the clothes circling movement with his eyes.

"Lloyd, stop that, you'll get dizzy."

"But it's so cool!"

"And you're going to get dizzy."

"Okay…" Once it was done Kratos put the wet clothes in the dryer. The dryer amazed Lloyd as well.

"Who invented this awesome machine?"

"Bill Watson."

"He must have been really smart!" Kratos smiled at his happy child fondly. Lloyd may be a teenager but he was still a kid at heart. Kratos never wanted Lloyd to become a grownup; he wanted Lloyd to remain like a child forever.

Once the clothes were done drying Kratos took them out, "Could you two leave? I need to change into these… clothes."

"Okay dad!" Lloyd followed Rudolph out the door.

Kratos stared at the clothes then sighed, "I might as well get this over with…" And he proceeded to change into the fat man's suit. It was a good thing Kratos was really tall, otherwise the clothes wouldn't fit him very well. Kratos called Rudolph and Lloyd back into the room.

When Rudolph saw Kratos he exclaimed, "My! You look better in that suit then Santa!"

"I think he has too much red on him…" Lloyd said.

Kratos looked at Lloyd funny, "Have you looked into the mirror today Lloyd?"

Lloyd went red, "I look good in red! You don't."

"Humph, what next Rudolph?"

"We go to Santa's sleigh and go deliver the presents to all the children!"

Lloyd pumped his fist into the air, "Let's go then!"

Kratos frowned, "Wait a minute Lloyd."

"Um… okay." Lloyd watched his father go to the closet and pull out a coat.

"This is going to be big on you, but you need to stay warm."

"I'll be fine! Let's just go!"

"Lloyd," Kratos warned, "Wear the coat."

"Fine." Lloyd took the coat from Kratos. The coat was very large on him, it went down to Lloyd's knees and the sleeves went longer. Lloyd pulled up the sleeves so his hands showed themselves, "It's so big!"

"Is it warm?" Kratos asked him.

"Yeah."

"Than the size doesn't matter. Now, you wanted to go somewhere?"

Lloyd smiled, "Yea! Rudolph, lead the way!"

"Of course!" Rudolph galloped out of the room, Kratos and Lloyd following him.

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**Me: Hopefully I'll upload the next chapter tomorrow.**

**Stella: No.**

**Me: What?**

**Stella: You will upload the next chapter tomorrow.**

**Me: Okay, I will upload the next chapter tomorrow.**

**Stella: Don't forget to review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Me: Thank you tiger002 for reviewing!**

**Stella: Didn't your internet break yesterday?**

**Me: Yea, and just when I was all set to update too. Luckily my dad just got the internet fixed.**

**Stella: She apologizes for the delay and will get the chapter after this up sometime tonight.**

**Me: I do not own Tales of Symphonia. Now, go and enjoy the story!**

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**Preparing the Sleigh**

"Whoa… That sleigh is huge!" Lloyd gaped at the sleigh, it was pretty big. "I bet it could hold Meltokio!"

"It's not that big…," Kratos mumbled.

Lloyd looked at him, "C'mon dad, be jolly!"

"Ho. Ho. Ho." Lloyd sighed at his father's attempt to be jolly.

Just then Rudolph came through the door, "The bag of presents is coming! Also, you all might want to get out of the way…" Lloyd and Kratos scooted back toward the wall. Little elves came, clad in green. They were also very short… unlike the elves in Heimdall. They were all carrying one big bag, all of them holding in above their head.

Lloyd stared at them, "They look like ants…"

Kratos nodded, "Very true." The elves approached the bag and threw it in the sleigh, or at least they tried too. Instead they missed completely.

"Get it off!" Rudolph screamed, "I already had a load on my mind! Get it off! It burns!"

"That makes no sense," Lloyd murmured.

"Does anything make any sense lately?" Kratos asked him.

"You have a point there…" And so Kratos and Lloyd proceeded to watch the elves get the bag off of Rudolph.

Rudolph, though, continued to scream about something, "That bag! It landed on my nose! Now my nose is- Eek! I'm on fire! Put me out! Put me out!"

Kratos grumbled, "Annoying little thing… Aqua Edge!"

"Hey! That hurt! You're going to get coal next year because of being naughty!"

"Shut up or we'll have no Christmas."

"Yes sir! Elves, get that bag on the sleigh, get the other reindeers, and get the sleigh ready!"

"Yes sir!" The elves then tried again to put the bag on the sleigh. Fortunately they succeeded. Afterwards they ran off to do the other things Rudolph had requested.

Lloyd ran up to the sleigh, "Can we get on?"

"Of course!" Rudolph told him.

Lloyd looked back at Kratos, "Aren't you coming dad?"

"I'll be there in a few seconds."

"Come up here now!" Lloyd climbed up the stairs, but tripped, "Whoa!"

Kratos was next to him in a flash, "Lloyd! Are you all right?"

He smiled up at his dad, "I'm fine! Let's get in the sleigh!" Lloyd got up.

Kratos frowned and seized Lloyd's hand. He took Lloyd's glove off and looked at his hand.

After inspecting it he scolded Lloyd, "You aren't fine. You bruised your hand."

"It's not that bad though!"

"Let me heal it anyways. First aide." Lloyd's hand turned from bruised to fixed up. "Now you may get on the sleigh." Lloyd nodded. He grabbed his dad's hand and pulled him into the sleigh with him.

Lloyd looked around immediately, "Kind of boring up here…"

Kratos chuckled, "You still get bored easily."

"But it really is boring up here."

"Once we get the sleigh in air you'll think it's the coolest thing you've ever seen." Kratos sat down on the seat in the sleigh. Lloyd sat down next to him.

"Is it just me, or does this sleigh smell like tomatoes," Lloyd wondered.

Kratos sniffed his surroundings, "I concur. If I was actually Santa than I would never make my sleigh smell like tomatoes."

"You know," Lloyd began, "It would be neat if you really were Santa."

"I would prefer to not be fat."

"You can be a skinny Santa then!"

Kratos muttered, "I don't even want to be Santa, or even pretend to be him." Just then the team of reindeers came in. The elves connected the reindeers to the sleigh and gave their rein to Kratos.

Rudolph, who was in the front of the team, looked back at Kratos, "Are you ready?"

"I'm actually going to lead a team of flying reindeers, aren't I," Kratos whispered to Lloyd.

Lloyd grinned, "It'll be fun!"

"Humph. We're ready Rudolph."

"Great! Leading us is just like leading a horse so this will be easy!"

"Alright."

"Wait a moment…," Lloyd realized, "We're going to be flying real high, aren't we?"

"Yes, why?"

Lloyd grabbed Kratos and his face in his dad's shoulder, "Don't let me fall…"

Kratos raised and eyebrow, "You're afraid of heights?"

"Yea…"

Kratos smiled gently, "Don't worry, I won't let you fall." He then kissed Lloyd's forehead gently, "I promise you."

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**Me: A skinny Santa is much more convenient than a fat Santa.**

**Stella: How?**

**Me: It'll be easier for him to go down the chimneys.**

**Stella: Good point.**

**Me: It is a very good point.**

**Stella: Review please!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Me: Thanks tiger002 for reviewing!**

**Stella: Let's get on with the chapter of fun!**

**Me: I agree!**

**Stella: AquaticWings does not own Tales of Symphonia.**

**Me: Enjoy!**

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**Delivering Presents**

"Our first stop is Flanoir!" Rudolph shouted to Kratos.

"Alright, I'll steer us toward it. How are you doing Lloyd?" Kratos gazed down at Lloyd. Lloyd sat at the bottom of the sleigh, curled up against Kratos's leg. Lloyd's arms were wrapped tightly around Kratos's leg.

"I'm in a happy place, I'm in a happy place, I'm in a happy place…"

"I take that as, 'please land soon'. Don't worry Lloyd; we're going to land soon in Flanoir." Kratos flew over and into Flanoir. They landed on a roof. "Now what Rudolph?"

"You reach in the bag and the first thing you pull out is that child's, or children's, Christmas gift, or gifts."

Lloyd got on his knees, "How does he know he's picking the right presents?"

Kratos looked down at Lloyd, "I see you're better now."

"The bag that contains presents is magic," Rudolph responded to Lloyd's question.

"Really?" Lloyd was excited. "Open the bag dad!"

"I am." Kratos went over to the bag. He reached into the bag and pulled out a dozen presents. How he fit them all in one hand he had no idea.

"That was cool!" Lloyd bounced off the sleigh and over to the chimney, "C'mon dad! Time to go down the chimney. Kratos walked over t it and stared down it.

"I'm going in thru the door." Kratos turned around.

"Dad, you're breaking tradition."

Kratos sighed and face-palmed his face, "Only you are able to make me do things like this Lloyd.

"Hurry up and go down the chimney!"

"I am…" Kratos put one leg into the chimney, then the other. He then let himself drop. He landed on his feet and climbed out of the fire place. And then Lloyd came down through the chimney. He crashed into the floor.

"Ow…"

Kratos sighed, but still smiled and shook his head, "You might as well help me put these gifts under the tree."

Lloyd grinned, "Okay Santa!" He grabbed a present and stuck in under the tree. Actually, he tossed it under the tree.

"No Lloyd, you never toss a gift under the tree. You lay it down gently; making sure its position is nice."

"You really should be Santa."

"Well, once we rescue him he'll have his job back."

"Yea…" Kratos looked at his son's face. It was full of sadness.

He walked over to him, "But even though I'll never be Santa again we'll still remember this time together."

Lloyd beamed, "You're right. Let's continue putting the presents under the tree!" Lloyd grabbed the presents in Kratos's hands and put them, nicely this time, underneath the Christmas tree. "Hey dad, don't forget to drink your milk and eat your cookies."

"How about you eat them?"

"No, they're for you."

"If I go around eating every single cookie and drinking every single cup of milk then I'm going to get fat."

"You don't eat anything anyways."

"Good point." Kratos walked over to the small table that had the milk and cookies. Kratos put a cookie in his mouth, than spat it out.

"Who makes cookies out of tomatoes?!?"

"You serious?" Lloyd grabbed one of the cookies and put it in his mouth, "Yuck!"

"I'm afraid to drink the milk now…," Kratos mumbled.

"We could throw the cookies outside and dump the milk into the bush," Lloyd suggested.

"I think we should do that…" After they had finished with this house Kratos went over to the chimney. "Time to go back up."

"How do we do that?"

"We climb."

"Can't you just fly us back up to the roof? It'd be easier for me."

"Alright." And they did that.

"Let's hurry to the other houses now!" Rudolph exclaimed.

"Yea!" Lloyd agreed. Kratos and Lloyd got on the sleigh. Lloyd fear of heights took over him though and so he went back into the same position he was in before he got off. Kratos took the reindeers' rein and lead them all over Tethe'alla and Sylvarant, delivering all the presents to all the little children. When they began flying back toward the North Pole Lloyd noticed something, "Hey, there's still a present in the bag!"

"We're leading you guys toward the last child to get a present." Rudolph told them. He then led them to a cave. Kratos landed the sleigh and Rudolph spoke again, "She's in there…"

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**Me: Expect my next update Christmas Day, for to me at the moment I update this it is Christmas Eve.  
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**Stella: We wish you a merry Christmas,**

**Me: And a happy New Year!**

**Stella: Don't forget to review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Me: Thanks tiger002 for reviewing!!!**

**Stella: AquaticWings does not own Tales of Symphonia.**

**Me: Enjoy!**

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**The Last Gift**

"Who is she?" Lloyd asked Rudolph.

"You'll see. Kratos, get the last present." Kratos walked over to the empty bag and pulled out a present. It wasn't wrapped though.

Kratos stared at it, and then spoke, "This locket… It looks just like the one I wear."

Lloyd came up behind him, "It does look like your locket."

"Hurry and deliver the present! We have to get back to the North Pole before the clock strikes twelve, otherwise we're doomed!"

"Doomed?" Kratos questioned.

"Doomed! For the tomatoes will come and eat us if we do not hurry!"

"What's up with all the tomatoes?" Lloyd raised an eyebrow, "Something seems fishy…"

"Fish? Where?" Rudolph began looking around, and then actually flew off with the sleigh.

Kratos sighed, "I'm not fond of Rudolph at all now."

"Yeah." Kratos and Lloyd entered the cave. It was dark and wet. They expected the child to be near the entrance, but instead there was a maze. They entered it. As they walked on Lloyd noticed something, "Is it just me, or does it smell like fish in here?"

Kratos sniffed, "You're right. We'd best be careful." They went on. Lloyd tripped and slipped along the way and soon Kratos ended up carrying his son on his back.

"I'm bored…"

"I noticed."

"I'm really bored…"

"I noticed that as well."

"I'm really really bored."

"Lloyd, I can make you not bored very easily."

"Did you know this is like the most exciting trip in my life?" Lloyd exclaimed, "I mean, the fish smells lovely and the wet wall shines like diamonds."

Kratos stopped suddenly, "Something is wrong."

"Huh?"

"Do you realize how this cave smells like fish, we've been walking for a long time, and the cave is a maze?"

"Yea, but what does it all add up to?"

"A trap most likely."

"What?!? Why would Rudolph do that?!?"

"Lloyd, hush. We don't want to alarm the enemy."

"But still…," Lloyd murmured, "we haven't done anything wrong…"

"We have."

"What?"

"We killed Larry."

Lloyd gasped, "So the tomatoes are after us?"

"Most likely. But Lloyd, this present," Kratos held up the locket, "wouldn't have appeared if there weren't a child in here, so we'll just have to keep looking for her."

"Is your locket on your neck?"

"What…?" Kratos asked Lloyd, confused and alarmed.

"That locket looks so much like yours that maybe it is yours. But I don't get why Rudolph would do something like that…"

Kratos reached up to his neck, where the locket was supposed to be, but it wasn't, "It is gone…" Kratos looked at the locket in his hand, and then opened it. Inside was a picture of Anna, baby Lloyd, and himself. Kratos was alarmed, "We must get out of here!" He broke of in a run, but unfortunately they got more lost in the maze.

"Dad, I'm scared…"

"It's alright Lloyd; I'll get us out of here." Kratos saw a door, and ran over t it. "Perhaps this is the way out…" But it wasn't. Kratos found himself standing on a cliff and the door was no longer there. He put Lloyd down. "Hmm… This is most likely the trap, Lloyd."

"Whoa, it's a long way," Lloyd leaned over the edge, "Down! Aah!" He slipped and fell down.

"Lloyd!"

"Dad!" Kratos tried to let his wings out, but they refused.

"Lloyd!" Kratos panicked. What could he do? "Lloyd…"

"Hello, Kratos." Kratos whirled around. What he found scared him.

"A talking tomato?!?" What he saw was a big, fat, and round tomato. It was bigger than him, almost 1.5 times bigger.

"Yes! I am here because you have committed the crime of murdering a tomato!"

Kratos sweat-dropped, "Tomatoes are evil…"

"We are not! Now, receive your punishment and loose your son like I lost mine!"

"I… already did…."

"Good! Now you can suffer on this cliff for the rest of your days!"

"No!!!"

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"No!!!" Kratos yelled, sitting straight up in bed. He looked around him, "A nightmare… That's good."

The door then opened, "Dad, are you all right?" Lloyd let himself in the room, "You're not hurt, are you?"

"I'm fine Lloyd…"

"No you're not!" Lloyd walked up to the side of Kratos's bed, "You're frightened!"

Kratos looked down, his hair covering his eyes, "That's because…. I am frightened."

"About what? It's Christmas night!"

"I had a nightmare…," Kratos then pulled Lloyd into a tight embrace, "I dreamt that after I killed a tomato the father of the tomato that I killed came to us and killed you."

"That's scary… But dad, I'm not dead, I'm right here."

"And I'm so thankful for that. I love you Lloyd."

"I love you too dad."

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**Me: Whoa, this is my first completed story.**

**Stella: Really?**

**Me: Yep!**

**Stella: I'm glad you're happy!**

**Me: Thanks for being glad.**

**Stella: Don't forget to review!**

**Me and Stella: Happy New Year!**


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